William Bordley, an associate general counsel with the Marshals Service, acknowledged in the letter that “approximately 35,314 images…have been stored on the Brijot Gen2 machine” used in the Orlando, Fla. federal courthouse. In addition, Bordley wrote, a Millivision machine was tested in the Washington, D.C. federal courthouse but it was sent back to the manufacturer, which now apparently possesses the image database.
from TSA through cnet
I’m sure many out there hear “the [TSA] MMW machines are not storing images” and assume that applies to all MMW machines deployed. I don’t recall such a claim from the courthouses and I haven’t been to any courthouse to know what they claim, but still something to think about. Apparently if you are storing images and you send the machine back to the manufacturer they get all the images as well. I work for a company that provides databases for hospitals. When we get a database from a client if what we are troubleshooting is not directly related to the patients in the database we make them delete all of that data before submitting the database to us. Also we must comply with HIPAA as far as that data goes. It seems like a similar arrangement was not made between these clients and the manufacturers. How soon until the kiddie pictures make it up into the kiddie porn forums on Usenet?
A 70-page document (PDF) showing the TSA’s procurement specifications, classified as “sensitive security information,” says that in some modes the scanner must “allow exporting of image data in real time” and provide a mechanism for “high-speed transfer of image data” over the network. (It also says that image filters will “protect the identity, modesty, and privacy of the passenger.”)
TSA keeps insisting the machines are not set to store images…that the machines can but that option is disabled after installation. If you just disable that feature why do your specs call for it? Does it up resale? Just like how I’d never use a fireplace in a house but if you don’t have a fireplace it can affect resale? This isn’t just the ability to store images, it’s the ability to instantly distribute them across the internet. If that is actually happening I’m sure someone is also working on hacking that network.
